From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine detailing the 1922 2-litre Grand Prix Sunbeam racing car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0182 | |
| Date | 7th February 1941 | |
| 134 The Autocar February 7th, 1941 [Diagram Labels] TWIN OVERHEAD CAMSHAFTS FOUR VALVES PER CYLINDER. 60 GALLON PETROL TANK TWIN MAGNETOS FRONT WHEEL BRAKES WATER PUMP OIL PUMP TWO ZENITH CARBURETTERS BRAKE CABLES SERVO BRAKE MECHANISM OIL TANK [Caption] The 1922 2-litre Grand Prix Sunbeam. Main chassis features will be observed to be a 60-gallon fuel tank, an oil tank amidships for the dry-sump lubrication system, and servo-operated four-wheel brakes. The exact engine size was 1,975.6 c.c. [Article Title and Author] The Sport BY VIZOR [Contents] ★ Canadian Enthusiast's G.P. Sunbeam ★ B.H.P. Then and Now ★ Stars and Crowns ★ Club Announcements [Article Text] YOU might have expected that a subject such as the Grand Prix Sunbeams would crop up once in a while, someone recalling something in passing of the famous machines that upheld British prestige in racing. Not once, however, but on three or four separate occasions in less than six months there has been first-hand evidence of renewed interest in these cars of 1922, '23 and '24. First there was news of one of the 1922 four-cylinder Sunbeams in Australia, where it has competed, then we heard of one of the 1924 six-cylinder supercharged machines in Northern Ireland, where it is being re-built and converted by J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Barbour, and after that Anthony Heal mentioned that he had in his possession another of that year's cars. Also T. A.{Mr Adams} S. O.{Mr Oldham} Mathieson wrote to say that he is interested in acquiring one. * Then, quite separately, as far as I know, from any of these expressions of interest in the racing Sunbeams, I heard from W. K.{Mr Kilner} Johnson, a Canadian who is in this country on a war job in connection with aircraft, that he has one of the Grand Prix cars and wants to get hold of as much information as possible about it. He met S. C. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Davis a year or so ago, when he first came over here. The car he has turns out to be one of the 1922 four-cylinder unblown machines. In that year Sunbeams adopted a six-cylinder engine, also unsupercharged, and, of course, Segrave won the French Grand Prix in one. In 1922 they were less fortunate as a marque, each of the three cars breaking a piston in the race, caused in turn by a valve-stem fracture. Apparently the machines were over-revving, unbeknown to their drivers, it being discovered subsequently that the rev counters were under-reading by 300 r.p.m. Incidentally, at the time in question it was a matter for congratulation that a 2-litre twin-cam-shaft four-valve-per-cylinder special racing engine should develop 70 h.p., and 4,600, with a possible 5,000 r.p.m., was an engine speed to refer to as something right out of the ordinary. Yet, as one example, only eleven years or so later the 1,100 c.c. Magnette racing engine was putting out well over 100 b.h.p. in sports car events, and was far from being a specially built G.P. unit. * Chassis Details THERE being interest in the Sun-beams of those palmy days of racing, it is worth showing the chassis details of one of these machines—a drawing which, in rather larger form, I was able to let W. K.{Mr Kilner} Johnson see the other day. It at once enabled him to identify the year of the machine he has and, along with other particulars then published, to settle some points that have arisen in his work on it in such time as is available. His car is labelled No. 4, and if anyone can give any details of the history of that actual example, either at the time of the 1922 Grand Prix or in subsequent events, he would be most interested and grateful. Apparently the car was run in later years by an enthusiast named Burness, and at Donington, though personally I don't recall it there. At some stage a supercharger has been fitted, but there is no blower with the car now. Johnson knows that Louis Giron at one period worked on the car, and had a collection of parts and spares for it, but where that material is now he doesn't know. * The lubrication system is a bit of a problem, as there are external pipes "by the dozen" running off in all directions for purposes at present a mystery, which want connecting up. One of the features is a huge cone clutch, and more recent carburettors than the originals have been fitted. Work is now proceeding as and when, the chassis having been completely stripped. The chief object at the moment is getting rid of the accumulated latest rust, beneath which everything is in very good condition, the workmanship being superb. * W. K.{Mr Kilner} Johnson was very much in touch with the racing game back in Canada, and has also been down to Indianapolis for two or three races, where he linked up with Ted Horn. He is one of the star drivers in the annual 500, and also, judging by the 1940 records list recently issued by the A.A.A., holds a remarkable number of lap and distance records on the various American tracks. But that is by the way. * Promotions THEN there's news of some of our own people. John Dugdale—whom Casque labelled Little John at the time he went out to Utah with John Cobb for the record, distinguish-ing him from Big John—is now wear- A 22 | ||